"Decently successful day for once," Dean comments once the three hunters have gone over their findings from the day back at their motel.
"On your end maybe," Sam mentions while reading through the list of people who have card access to the nursery. "I, on the other hand, didn't come across too much."
"Dude, you got the name of the guy spreading false info on the missing elderly people. That's pretty damn important," Lizzy comments while reading over the partially false article once more on her laptop.
"That's true. And I came across these." It's then that Sam plops down the stack of Playboys he took from Ramos' safe onto the table he and Dean are seated at. "I was pretty productive, wasn't I?" He grins as he watches Dean's reaction.
"What!?" Dean lights up and reaches for the pile instantly.
"Where the hell did you find those," Lizzy asks in a laugh.
"Ramos was a collector," Sam answers. "I found them in an old iron safe he had. He was paranoid that people were trying to take them from him." He then reaches into the middle of the pile across the table and pulls out one volume in particular before dropping onto the top of the stack. He doesn't say anything, just smiles at Dean wide.
"No way!" Dean stares at the issue with shock.
"What?" Lizzy has to know as the two are clearly sharing a moment over porn which is definitely out of the ordinary for them.
"Anna Nicole," Dean says with wide eyes and pure glee on his face. Lizzy is pretty sure that's the face he would have had as a kid on Christmas morning.
"Ok…" she responds, not understanding.
"It's Anna freakin' Nicole," Dean repeats while opening the issue. Lizzy looks to Sam for an explanation now that she's sure Dean won't be providing one.
"It's the issue dad kept in his duffle at all times," Sam smiles with the memory. "Let's just say we, ah, both know this issue from cover to cover." He scratches the back of his head with slight embarrassment.
"God damn she was hot, wasn't she?" Dean mutters while turning the magazine sideways to study the centerfold he hasn't laid eyes on in so long. "I couldn't begin to count the amount of times I must have jerked it to this very picture in the bathroom of motels all over this country."
"Lovely," Lizzy laughs, loving witnessing the raunchy yet somehow sweet stroll down memory lane.
"First naked woman I ever saw," Sam comments.
"Oh, we are so keeping this," Dean comments while still leafing through the pages.
"Well, while you two continue to get your rocks off, I'm gonna head out." Lizzy stands up off the bed, suit still on, and closes her computer.
"Where you going?" Dean asks, looking to her with wonder.
"I have a couple questions for our dishonest journalist. I know where we can find him on a Sunday afternoon such as this."
"You do?" Sam says with surprise.
"How did you figure that out?" Dean asks with narrowed eyes.
"Made a call to his office when I ran out to the car a few minutes ago and got his assistant."
"And someone just told you were he is right now… on a day off?" Sam skeptically asks her.
"Sam-I-Am, if I say the right things and use the right tone of voice I can get anyone to tell me anything… even over the phone." She smirks and Dean just shakes his head no while at a loss. Sometimes she's so good he worries about how it is exactly that she pulls these kinds of things off.
"Where is he?" Sam wonders with wide eyes.
"Sports bar about ten blocks from here," Lizzy says. "His assistant said he goes there every Sunday and holes up with his laptop in the corner booth while he gets drunk."
"Hell of a way to spend a Sunday," Dean remarks. "Alone at a bar? With a laptop? I bet this guy isn't socially awkward at all."
"Well, I'm willing to find out if he is or not right now," Lizzy says as she pulls her suit jacket back on.
"I'll go with you," Sam offers immediately as Lizzy pops her heels back on despite her feet killing from being in them all day.
"You sure you want to head back out, not take it easy?" Dean asks Lizzy.
"Oh yeah. The more I'm out and busy the less my brain can take over and think about… things."
"Alright," Dean nods his understanding though worries she's taking on too much too soon. "I'm gonna stay here and check out these security videos then."
"Good luck with that," Lizzy says in jest, knowing how boring watching security footage can be. She gets too antsy form it usually and has to take breaks and do something to get through.
"Yeah, thanks," Dean says back lowly as Sam and Lizzy head out the door.
"That must be him," Lizzy says to Sam as she points to the back corner of the bar at a man with his face in a laptop. They start to head his way as Lizzy shifts her weight on her feet. "Thank God we found him tonight. I really wasn't looking forward to wearing this fucking suit again tomorrow. My feet kill."
"Aren't women supposed to be able to wear those things without complaining?" Sam nods down to her shiny, patent leather heels.
"Yeah, fucking crazy ones who like to impose self-inflicted torture. I've been wearing boots nonstop for so long now that I can't hack this anymore." Lizzy keeps walking through the pain without showing an ounce of discomfort in her gate.
"Isn't it better to look good than to feel good though?" Sam asks her with a smile.
"So says the man who made the first pair of pumps," Lizzy grumbles.
Sam huffs a quick laugh as they approach the journalist's booth. Once they're standing in front of his table, Sam clears his throat to get the man's attention. Looking up at the two suited people in front of him, Jose looks a little nervous suddenly.
"Mr. Villanueva?" Lizzy asks to confirm that he is actually who they are looking for.
"Yes."
"I'm Agent Bonham, this is Agent Page." Insert usual badge flash from both hunters. "Mind if we sit down and chat for a minute?"
"I'm thinking I don't have much of a choice." Jose shrugs and the hunters slide into the booth. "What's this about?"
"It's about your front page article on the missing elderly people." Sam stares him down, knowing that Jose is well aware of why they are there to talk to him.
"What about it?" Jose asks as he closes his laptop and takes a big gulp from his pint.
"Well, let's just say we found some inaccuracies with your information." Lizzy stares at him with a lifted eyebrow, challenging the stranger to come clean.
"A little extra intrigue never hurt anyone," Jose claims with an edge. "Our paper has been sinking, just like all periodicals lately. Print is nearly dead so sue me for trying to get people to buy a damn newspaper." His angry and annoyed attitude surprises both hunters.
"Ah yes, but in the process of trying to drum up some business you mislead a couple of FBI agents who have much better things to do with their time than check up on bunk newspaper reports," Lizzy says with a little anger.
"Shouldn't your department do a better job with their research then?" Jose fights back. "Maybe fact check before sending their people out?"
"Listen smartass…"
Sam holds a hand out to Lizzy, preemptively stopping her remark, to make sure she keeps her fire for Jose's flippant attitude in check.
"Look, Jose, we just want to know why you put such a specific detail into the article." Sam tries a new approach. The journalist is definitely not going to be intimidated by them so maybe they need to take it easy and befriend the guy. "It's kind of a strange thing to just pop in there."
"I don't know," Jose honestly answers. "I just remember my grandmother mentioning shit about the boogeyman coming to get bad people and leaving carvings of them behind when I was just a kid. It was some Filipino ghost story or something from back in the old days."
"Boogey man, huh?" Sam wonders aloud. Filipino lore. It's somewhere to start.
"Yeah, but then again she was a little batshit crazy by the time I was just five, so she might have been making it up all together."
"Well, thanks for nothing Jose," Lizzy says as she stands up. "I'll let you continue drinking while writing you're next full of shit article."
"Thanks, doll. You've been sweet," Jose caustically returns while opening his laptop again. Sam and Lizzy start to leave the bar, seeing as the guy was barely helpful and an almost complete waste of time, when Lizzy stops short.
"Whoa," Sam says, stumbling into her. "What?"
"The Pats are playing," Lizzy says, looking up at the big screen over the bar. "Shit, I forgot! And they're playing the Jets!? Fucking A, we are so staying."
Lizzy sits down right away at a bar stood and settles in, raising her hand and motioning for the bartender to head her way.
"Uh, we're in the middle of a case," Sam reminds her, walking to stand at her side.
"A case that's at a dead end for now," she returns as the bartender heads her way.
"But we have a lead to check on."
"So we'll text Dean to do it. He can check out the Filipino lore himself." Lizzy is already pulling her phone out of her blazer as Sam starts to think that he won't win this one, as per usual with Lizzy.
Sam sits at the stool to her right and looks over at her, using his expression to inquire about an explanation.
"Don't look at me like that," she quickly says before the bartender asks for her order. "Two beers please."
"No problem," the bartender returns and heads off to get them their drinks.
"Then don't dodge a hunt like this and I won't," Sam responds quickly.
"Not dodging a hunt, dude. I just haven't watched a Pat's game all season," Lizzy tells him.
"It's only week two!" Sam laughs with her dramatics.
"And I missed the season opener!" Lizzy returns quickly. "This is what I love to do. No matter what we were in the middle of, Louie and I always took time on Sundays to watch the game. It's one of the few things we still had left once we started hunting that could keep us in the real world. And damn it, I fucking love my Patriots, you know that. You gotta give me this, Sam. It's been a shitty ass week."
Sam contemplates what she asks of him as two beers are plopped down in front of them. Lizzy starts typing out a text and suddenly he feels like he might not have much of a choice. She's looking pretty comfy in her bar stool.
"Alright," Sam gives in as he grabs his pint glass and takes a seat next to her. "But only this game and then we head back and help Dean. No Sunday Night Football."
"Aw, see? There is a little fun guy buried in there somewhere."
"Don't be a bitch," Sam smiles and takes a big sip. He watches the big screen TV for one play and makes a face. "I think I've been hanging out with you for too long."
"Why do you say that?" she looks up from her phone.
"Because I hate the fucking Jets now as much as you do. It's like a learned behavior."
"That'a boy. Knew you'd see the light sooner or later," Lizzy smiles as she pushes send.
Hey Hot Shot. Still out for a bit. Will bring dinner back. Check Filipino lore for creature that takes old people and babies!
Dean pauses the nursery footage when his phone beeps. Pulling his cell out of his back pocket, he checks the message.
Hey Hot Shot. Still out for a bit. Will bring dinner back. Check Filipino lore for creature that takes old people and babies!
"Filipino lore?" Dean grumbles to himself. Weird, but at least they have a lead of some kind.
The security footage was a waste of time he now realizes. Dr. Aquino was right, something definitely tampered with it. The time signature in the bottom corner jumped a full ten minutes without warning around three in the morning the day Laylay disappeared. The same thing happened at eleven at night the day after Doon was born. Other than some creative editing, something that anything with half a brain could pull off, there were no other helpful hints in the video. Once more, however, Dean has to seriously consider that whatever is doing this is linked to the hospital. Someone on the inside has to be responsible. He's glad they have that list of names with access to the nursery now.
He wonders what Sam and Lizzy are following up on as he closes the video on Sam's laptop. Those two only had questioning that journalist on the docket for the night so now he hopes they found something else to look into.
With the list of hospital workers on one side and list of possible creatures responsible for the disappearances on the other, Dean sighs loudly. When did he become research bitch? It all happened so fast that he hates how stuck he is with the task. Plus, Sam's so much faster at this than he is. He always knows right where to look. Dean constantly feels a little lost when doing research, even if he would never admitted that aloud… ever. The whole thing makes him feel stifled and sedentary and, more importantly, bored out of his fucking skull.
Dean sighs heavily. He'd rather be drinking, or kicking some ass, or maybe even finding some alone time with Lizzy. It's been nearly a week, a week, and he's starting to feel like a monk or something. He'll be patient with her though, knowing sex will probably be a little scary for her when they get back to it. That is, after all, what got them into this mess in the first place. Hell, he's a little bit hesitant himself. Nothing he can't get past if he finds himself horny enough, of course.
Opening a browser on the computer, Dean gets inspired. He types in a very familiar URL address with glee. He may just have a way to hold off until Lizzy's ready after all.
"Well hello ladies," Dean smirks while typing in his password. The main screen of pops up. A slick smile spreads across his face. "Long time, no see."
No matter how much action he gets from Lizzy, he still has his little kinks that she just can't quite fulfill. This is the big one.
"One of these days I'm getting L into a kimono…"